Qatar's tourism receipts are forecast to grow to $7.2 billion by 2025 as the Gulf state looks to diversify its economy away from oil and gas over the next decade.
The country's tourism sector is set to grow annually by 4.7 percent after travel and tourism is estimated to have contributed $4.6 billion for 2015, a rise of 7.3 percent over the previous year.
Qatar's tourism industry is building momentum as it enters the second half of the decade, with an ambitious target of four million visitors by 2020, supported by $40-45 billion worth of sector investment under the country's National Tourism Sector Strategy 2030 plan.
The Gulf state returns to the Arabian Travel Market this year to showcase its expanding hotel and tourism infrastructure pipeline following a successful 2015 with visitor numbers in the first nine months of 2014 growing to reach 2.2 million as booming air connectivity which saw Hamad International Airport exceed forecasted capacity of 30 million passengers last year.
"Qatar is working towards its strategic goal of positioning itself as a 'world-class hub with deep cultural roots', by creating a high profile product that will appeal to all market segments from cultural tourists and families to sports fans and business travelers," said Nadege Noblet-Segers, exhibition manager, Arabian Travel Market.
Reports suggest the addition of 11 new hotel properties with a total of 1,400 rooms to the market in 2015 as part of its commitment to reach 50,000 additional rooms by the 2022, when it will host the FIFA World Cup.
Official statistics tally current hotel room capacity at 17,900 keys, 84 percent of which is four and five-star accommodation.
"As we are seeing in other GCC countries, an increasingly diversified tourism portfolio requires an equally broad hospitality offering, looking at both the luxury and mid-range categories, which is something that we are focusing on this year at ATM with midmarket travel our spotlight theme," said Noblet-Segers.
"This is responding not only to the needs of the more budget-conscious traveler, but those for whom quality and experience-led travel doesn't necessarily have to mean a five-star price tag," she added.
Arabian Business
18 February
